Breaking through
by Syra Sunn
Summary: Chelsea, not your normal teenager, escapes from home; whilst Vaughn is apprehensive about returning. Each have their own barriers to overcome, but can they help each other? Or will it just end in a disaster?
1. Solvo

**Hey there! Just like to say that I don't own any of the official characters etc. since they belong to Natsume and all. Some are OC's though, but you'll figure it out. I'll probably forget to put up this note of disclaimer, and I can't bother remembering so I will say it again.**

**I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING.**

**Enjoy.**

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><p>-Sailor's pov<p>

I cursed myself once again as I stood. I hated this job. Of course I just had to get the short straw from the bunch and get stuck at the dock welcoming the guests with a 'happy' attitude. I would rather be on deck preparing for cast off; at least I'd be moving, rather than standing here bored out of my mind with a wide smile plastered onto my face. _Oh well, it is part of my contract after all..._

Just as I was about to consider telling the captain that we should start heading off, a girl walked up to the dock. She was about 18...but it was hard to tell. Her face was expressionless and her eyes were darting around in all sorts of directions. It made me dizzy just trying to follow them around. Her arms were by her side, but I noticed her right hand was drumming against her side, as though she was impatient or something.

Shaking my head I began protocol procedure, "Name Ma'am?" She looked up at me for a brief moment, then turned away to stare at the sea behind me, twirling a finger around her hair; but I caught sight of her blue eyes. Now when I say blue, I mean BLUE. Unfortunately I wasn't able to ponder on my thoughts since she answered me.

"Ch-Chelsea...Chelsea Solvo** (1)**", she said, still looking away. I thought I detected a hint of a smile when she mentioned her last name, but that was probably just my imagination.

I quickly scanned through the guest list and found her name and room number. "Welcome aboard Miss Solvo. Your room number is 103, located near the rear of the ship. Have a pleasant journey."

She slightly nodded her head to me and looked back towards the city, a flicker of doubt showing. Noticing my gaze, she turned back around, gripped her rucksack tighter and started to board the ship. I watched her leave and sighed to myself._ Strange girl. Wonder what's up with her?_ Deciding not to distract myself any longer, I informed the captain that we might as well leave, since no one else seemed to be on their way.

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><p>-Chelsea's pov<p>

_Alright. That didn't go so bad now did it?_ I dropped by rucksack onto my bleached white, narrow bed and flopped down onto it, stuffing my room key into my pocket. _I mean it could have gone worse. I could have accidentally used my REAL last name._ I shuddered at the idea of how quickly my life would probably end if I had done so. Closing my eyes, I tried to relax and steady my suddenly pounding heart.

_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Remember what Louise said about thinking negative, that nothing would be achieved by doing so..._

Louise.

I missed her so much. She was always there for me, no matter what happened. She was my sanity; or rather she taught me how to control mine...

The speakers suddenly crackled, causing me to cringe at the noise. "All hands on deck! We're about to cast off!" Not long after, I felt a swaying motion. We were off.

This was it. This was the moment I had been planning and waiting for so desperately for the entire winter. Knowing that now I could never turn back. That I was leaving for good with absolutely no intention of EVER going back. And that they couldn't find me.

_Hopefully._

_No! Positive thoughts Chelsea, stay optimistic!_ I sighed through my nose and clenched my fists, focusing on the view of the window, allowing myself to be lost in the sea... and the fact that I was free.

Free.

I. Was. FREE!

Experiencing a rare outburst of utter and complete joy, I decided to go up deck to really experience this newly acquired sense, whether there were people there or not. Checking that I still had my room key, I ran out my out of my cabin and onto the deck, tripping on one of the stairs on the way. _Bless the person who invented rails. _I managed to make it to the railing on the edge without tripping over my own feet, and the sight was just... spectacular.

The sea just seemed to go on and on, not stopping no matter how hard I looked at the horizon. Near the ship, the water was clear cobalt, with a hint of aqua. Further out it just got darker and darker, turning a deep ultramarine. The sun was setting, so on the west, it tinted the sky orange, purple and red, whilst coloring the sea gold. Turning around to the east, the sea stayed its original colors, but near the horizon, the sea melded with the sky. My hands were fluttering with delight and I gripped the railing so hard, my knuckles turned white.

"First time out at sea, eh?" said a voice near me. I turned around slowly and found an older man near me. His skin was tanned and actually quite wrinkled; he had a pure white beard and wore a blue and white captain's hat. All this I took in whilst glancing at his old gray jeans and navy sweater. His hands were trustworthy; large, tanned like the rest of him, calloused at some places, yet they held a sense of kindness in them.

"Yes, is it really that obvious?" I answered, after realizing he was probably waiting for one.

"Naw, I just noticed that the expression on your face was exactly how I felt when I first saw it," he replied, smiling down at me and showing off his surprisingly well looked after teeth.

I hesitantly smiled back, still a bit unsure how to react in these types of situations. But Louise did say that I needed to smile more...

_~Flashback_

"_Come on Chel, don't you like it?"_

"_Yes, I do Louise. Thank you for getting me this. It's really lovely," I had said, my face expressionless._

"_Well how about you smile then and prove to me that you really DO like it?"_

"_Why would I smile? You know I like it and that's all isn't it? Besides all you do is show your teeth off anyways," I replied, just staring at my gift._

"_But not everyone knows me like you. To show that you appreciate something, you should smile. That's also how everyone knows how to express happiness. Besides, you look so beautiful when you do! Please? For me Chel?"_

"_Not true," I sighed and put my gift down. Then mustering all the 'happiness' in me I proceeded to look her in the eye, something I rarely did, and try to expel all of it by stretching my facial muscles into a wide smile._

_She just gaped at me, and then began to clap her hands and giggle like a 3-year-old. I just watched her, fascinated by how immature she could be at times; but maybe that's why I loved her so much. I just kept on smiling though, because now I meant it._

_~End Flashback_

"... Miss... Miss are you alright?"

I looked up at him, shaking my head slightly to stop the thoughts, "Yes sir. I'm quite alright, thank you."

"I hope so Miss, you were lookin' a bit lost there for a second an' I was gettin' worried. Anyway just thought I'd mention that a storm might be passin' by this night but it won't hit us. But just to be safe I'd stay in my cabin if I were you."

"Oh, very well then. Thank you for the information. I gladly appreciate it." He just nodded once and walked away.

_A storm. A bloody storm is passing by when I'm in the middle of the sea. Damn it._ With the water suddenly not looking so serene, and the sun beginning to set, I decided to head to the bar to get a drink then go to my cabin, where I would spend my horrible night in. _The bar, now where would that be?_ Normally, one would ask for directions, but seeing that I'm not entirely normal, I decided to go find it myself.

About 30 minutes later, after stumbling around the entire ship, I found it. Actually, it found me. I still wasn't used to my 'sea legs' as I recall reading somewhere in a book, and I literally stumbled into it. The place mostly consisted of some booths and a few tables and chairs; not counting the actual bar itself. The place was only somewhat busy, yet I already felt nervous. There were so many people, I didn't know how to handle it if questions started being asked, and I'd have to answer them! Maneuvering as quickly as I could around the small groups of people, I found an empty stool near someone at the bar and made that my target. Not bothering to notice the person next to me, I tiredly sat down and relished in the few seconds of silence before I would have to talk to the bartender.

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><p>-Vaughn's pov<p>

I sat there with my drink. It was my sixth glass of wine, and hell did I need it. My boss decided to call me at four in the morning to inform me that my days off were now going to be spent on "Sunny Island". My first thought was_ who the hell named that island in the first place?_ Ironically, today was Wednesday, my day off, but that didn't matter. I was getting paid extra to do this job, so I really couldn't care less. But what really worried me was that my aunt and cousin happened to live on said island.

My aunt, Mirabelle, was pretty nice; she looked after me when I was younger; when I didn't really have anyone. My cousin, on the other hand, I considered a total nightmare. Technically though, Julia wasn't that bad; she just got so irritating sometimes with her constant giggling and shrieking. But deep down, they cared for me… and the problem was, I never showed my thanks. That's why I'm here at the bar, when I would rather be back at my cabin, trying to dull the pain my memories leave.

I was content being alone, figuring my well-known reputation would keep people at bay. It worked for a while, until this random girl decided to sit down next to me. Now I know the bar was a little crowded, but come on! Could she not sense the fact that I wanted to be _alone_ and find somewhere else to sit? In response to her presence, I pulled my Stetson hat over my eyes and hunched my shoulders, making it clear that I did not want to talk. Thankfully, she got the message.

"Well hello there," I groaned inwardly at the sound of his voice. The bartender, Nick I think, was trying, yet again, to hit on another girl. He constantly did this to any girl, whether she be married of not. Usually the latter though, since the boyfriends were never far behind. "I don't believe we've met before, and I would remember. Your beauty is incomparable." Ugh. Sick. "Can I get you anything?"

"No, we haven't met, so you don't remember me; and iced water please," her voice was monotone and unwavering as she spoke.

I almost chocked in surprise by her answer. First, she completely ignored his smart-ass talk; and second, water? At a bar, at this time? Of all things, that was the most unexpected. Mildly interested now, I decided to actually look at her.

She was a slim, petite girl, only about 5"6 or so, judging by the height her feet were off the floor. She wore deep red boots that were mid-calf, and blue jean shorts. There was an open, red, button-down shirt with a yellow undershirt as well. Her chestnut hair was open and fell about half way down her back, but was kept in place under a red bandana. Thanks to her positioning though, I wasn't able to get a clear view of her face.

_What is up with the color red? _Her face was buried in her hands, so I wasn't able to see it. I noticed Nick coming back with her drink and I quickly averted by eyes (unknowingly I had been staring at her). He slid her drink across to her, along with what would be considered a flirtatious smile and wink. I risked a brief glance, and was slightly pleased to see that she didn't even move, not taking the hint. Satisfied, I turned my attention to my drink, which was nearly empty, contemplating whether I wanted a refill or not. It would cost, but it might be worth it.

I was so lost in thought, I didn't even hear the girl next to me call Nick back, until he was right there. He put his elbows on the table, and placed his head between his hands, giving the girl a mischievous smile.

"Yeah baby?" he asked, with a glint in his eyes. I didn't exactly appreciate that look, because I knew what it meant when a guy looked at a girl like that, and believe me, it was not good. I took a drink, since he just pissed me off, and listened (out of curiosity) to what she would say.

"First off, I'm _not_ your "baby", so don't call me that. Second, I asked for water. Simple H-2-O; not some drugged up drink. Now unless you want your boss to be known of your little seducing act, I suggest you get me another glass. And this time get me what I actually ordered." Now I really chocked on my drink, and it took me a couple seconds to get back under control. That drink was _DRUGGED_? And how the _hell_ did she know?

I looked at her, and her head was down, staring at the floor, her hair slightly covering her face. It was then I realized her voice had stayed level every time she had spoken. But when I looked down, her hands were clenched by her side and her arms were trembling, as though she was restraining herself from punching the guy. I wasn't so easily calmed and I glared back at the guy. To be honest, I don't think I even needed to. His eyes were opened so wide, they might as well have popped right out, and his face was shade paler than before. There was no arrogance now, just plain fear as he stared at her.

" Well? Aren't you gonna get her drink now?" I growled, trying to not throttle the man. I don't know why I did. Normally I wouldn't care, but for some reason I defended her. I didn't want to think about it now, I was too busy shooting daggers at him. With a start, he nodded dumbly, then rushed over to get her water. I turned back towards her, but she was still looking down. That idiot came back, and placed a glass in front of her. I watched as she took a sip.

"There; now that was water. Was it really that hard to do so in the first place?" Annoyingly, she was still looking down as she said this.

"Well baby I-"

Faster than I thought, she stood up and dumped her water all over that bastard, who shouted at the contact. The noise of the bar suddenly ceased as everyone turned to see what was going on. Lifting her head, I knew she was glaring at him. His face completely blanched when she did so.

"I said, _don't_ call me that," her voice wavered a bit as she said this. It had been one tone throughout the entire conversation, until now. With that she turned and was about to walk away. She paused however, and leaned towards me, "Thank you," she whispered, soft enough for me to hear, before resuming her walk out. I watched her leave, as did the rest of the bar occupants, stumbling a bit before reaching the hallway and making her way out. The quiet humming of the bar resumed, now with many glances directed towards the wet bartender, trying to dry off. I threw down my money and glared at him again.

"You are one _lucky_ bastard," I growled before stalking out.

I was ticked off, and had a headache coming; no thanks to the drinks. Above all I was tired too. Somehow I made it to my cabin without making a scene and immediately fell down into my narrow bed. Too sleepy to fully undress, I just took off my hat, vest, belts, and kicked off my boots before allowing myself to close my eyes.

_I never did see that girl's face, or got her name…_

Not bothering to ponder, I succumbed the darkness with the final sound of radio static crackling in my ears.

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><p><strong>AN: I don't mind whether you review or not. If you prefer to stay anonymous and silent, please do so. I can't force you and I won't try to beg either. Take care now and enjoy all the other fanfics out there! :)**

**(1) **_**Solvo **_**is Latin for free.**


	2. Ride

-Chelsea's pov

_How dare he! I specifically told him not to call me "baby", and he did so anyway! Did he not hear me the first time? Why doesn't anyone ever hear me? I'm always ignored…and the drink. I knew what he had put in it; it's what they would sometimes give me when they wanted me to "quiet down". I always hated it. The unexpected drowsy feelings, and the way they would look at me with their triumphed smile… but I knew; I learnt how to recognize the chemicals just by tasting. His was pretty obvious; the water wasn't even cold enough to hide it._

Sitting there on the bed, with my forehead resting against my knees, arms wrapped around them; I thought through this, going back to try and figure out why he even called me "baby". _I am, in no way, his child; and is that not what parents call their children?_

...

Nothing.

I banged the back of my head against the wall in frustration._ Why? Why are_ _people_ _so _complicated_?_

Before I could ponder on this any longer, the speakers above me crackled, sending shivers through my body. How I loathed that sound. It would echo around my head for a full 29 seconds. No clue why, it just did. However, I was able to catch onto what was being said, since they repeated it.

"Caution to all passengers. A storm will be blowing through in approximately two hours. We will only be near its border, so there is no need to panic. As a precaution, please remain in your cabin. The bar will be closed in thirty minutes."

A subtle chorus of "boo's" and moans could be heard outside at the last statement. _Well they shouldn't be up drinking the night away anyways._ I sighed, and decided to try and sleep for a few hours. No doubt I'll wake up to the storm, but it would be good to get some sleep anyways; no matter how brief. Goodness knows I need it.

I had already changed into my nightwear. It consisted of simple, charcoal grey sweatpants and wide-neck purple shirt that usually would fall over one of my shoulders. I took off my trusty bandana, and laid it on the little, wooden nightstand near me; then reached across my bed to switch off the lights. I snuggled under the sheets, trying to get as deep as I could, without completely burying myself; leaving my head uncovered. I yawned and closed my eyes, enjoying the blissful feeling of being semi-awake. I reviewed the day's events, and ended with the scene of my - surprisingly controlled - outburst at the bar.

I had purposely kept my face covered in order to block out the number of people around me. I knew they were there, but it helped not seeing them. However, by doing so, I wasn't able to actually see the man next to me; although he had spoken that one time. Well, more like growled. I still remembered what he said, 'Well? Aren't you gonna get her drink now?'. His voice was rough and deep, with a slight southern twang to it. I noticed it also slightly restrained. It was…interesting to say the least; that he had engaged himself in my little dispute. Granted, I was a little relieved at the gesture, yet didn't understand why he did so. Before leaving, I remembered to thank him for the comment. I knew it was a way to convey my gratitude.

Slowly losing the ability to think clearly, I dropped all thoughts and succumbed myself to darkness, wishing that it will last as long as it can.

CRACK!

BANG!

I woke up to the terrifying sounds of a storm; and to total darkness. I immediately sat up; heart pounding, breathing heavily, trying to get my bearings since I was still a little drowsy.

CRACK!

The room lit-up suddenly, and I remembered were I was.

BANG!

I literally jumped at the sound, and reflexively covered my ears with the palms of my hands; pulling my knees close to me, and rocking back and forth. The repetitive motion helped calm me down a bit.

CRACK!

Involuntarily, I screamed a bit. I couldn't help it. I hated storms. It wasn't really the thunder that scared me, that I could actually handle. No, it was the lightening that terrified me. I could barely handle myself, whenever it flashed, I would hear the 'crack' it would make. It sounded like the sky was deliberately being ripped apart, over and over. Any moment, I was certain that everything would come crashing down on me; that I would be lost. Forever.

CRACK!

I flinched, and saw the flash of light, despite my eyes being tightly shut. I didn't help that I was being tossed around in bed, whilst trying to calm my fluttering heart and mind with peaceful images and such. Then, the indescribable happened.

One minute, I'm in bed; the next I feel a sharp pain in the back of my head, and find myself on the floor. I have no idea how the heck I even got near the edge. All I know is that I'm currently rolling around the floor between the bed and opposite wall, getting bruised along the way.

_That's, _BUMP,_ going,_ WHAM,_ to hurt in_, WHACK, _the morning!_

_This is ridiculous; and not to mention nauseating._

Somehow, I hauled my hurt body off the floor, slipped on my red boots, unlocked the cabin door, and made it to the hallway without falling over. Outside it was almost pitch black, with only small, soft lights that ran along the border between the floor and wall, to illuminate the passage. If memory serves correct (and it usually did), the bathroom was at the end and to the right.

With the ship rocking crazily, I leaned against the wall, hurriedly stumbling on, focusing on the lights beneath me. I clenched my stomach, willing it to hold it together until the safety of the restroom. Before I knew it, I ran out of wall. The ship suddenly lurched to the left, and I followed suit; earning another sharp pain in my head. Groaning, I struggled to stand up again, when I heard it.

No. I must be hearing things. There is no way it's possible. I shook my head in denial.

"_MOO."_

My eyes widened. Alright, NOW I'm quite certain I heard that 'moo'. I seemed to be coming from the door to my left. I took a few steps towards it and placed my ear against the door.

"_CLUCK, CLUCK, CLUCK ."_

Curiosity overriding any logic, I experimentally turned the handle of the door, assuming it would actually be locked. One can imagine my slight astonishment when the door swung open, revealing a ladder that led down into near darkness. Nausea forgotten, I hardly hesitated turning around and going down. There were animals at stake, that was enough reason for me.

When I reached the swaying bottom, the door slammed shut, leaving me in total darkness… again. Feeling my way across the wall, I discovered a small light switch near me. I flipped it, wincing at the sudden burst of light; my arm instinctively covering my eyes as they adjusted. My curious nature threatening me, I peered through the slits between my fingers. I was met with: four stalls and a coop. There were two on each side, with the coop across from me, built to stretch across the opposite stalls; creating a sort of U-shape around me. The two stalls immediately to my left and right were empty, but the rest were occupied. There was a brown heifer and two calves huddled together on the left, a roan mare backed up against the wall to my right, and in the coop there was an adult chicken standing protectively near a mass of yellow fuzz.

Astonished at the sight before me, I took a step forward; but before I could take another, the ship tipped. For the THIRD time I found myself on the floor, this one wooden. Judging the sudden increased level of noise, the animals hated this storm as much as I did; perhaps even more. I heaved my hurt body off the floor, wincing at the slight burning sensation that ran across my upper back. _Bloody scar. _I ignored the pain for now, and focused on the livestock before me. Deciding to try and pacify the cattle first, I went over – stumbling along the way thanks to the swinging motion – and jumped over the gate holding them in.

As a group, they all moved back, with the heifer mooing as a warning. I sat down on some relatively clean hay, crossing my legs. I reached over to the right of me, where I noticed some open feed, and held some out in my right hand towards the trembling group. It took some time – five minutes and fourteen seconds – before the heifer came towards my outstretched hand. Cautiously, it ate the offered food, I could feel her (also brown) eyes watching me. Once she was done, I placed my hand between her ears, and rubbed her gently; allowing my hand to continue along her back. She mooed contentedly, and sat down besides be. The calves approached carefully, and looked at me dubiously, until I had patted their heads as well. They sat around me, their large eyes full of some emotion. Guessing it was a positive one, I smiled in response. However, knowing that there were other unhappy animals, I slowly stood up and exited the stall, looking back to give a reassuring smile. Pleased with the way that was solved, I went onto my next patients: the chickens.

Now they were a different story. Once I neared the coup, the adult rushed at me, clucking furiously. I stood outside and pointedly did not stare at her, pretending that she wasn't even there. Forty-three seconds later she ceased her tyranny. I acted as though I was going to enter, when she started up again; I left her to be as before. This happened two more times, when she finally didn't react. Cautiously, I entered the coup, unsure whether the poultry would end up increasing my number of scars or not. Fortunately, they didn't. I got on my knees near the little shivering group, and reached out to the big fuzz-ball. They cheeped in alarm, and the chicken ,I silently named Helga, glared at me. Unfazed, I scooped them up – counting three individual chicks – and whispered calming words to them, rocking back and forth in the process. They quieted down soon enough, and I placed them down gently – under the watchful eyes of Helga. She fluffed up her feathers and settled down on the next to group; looking at me, before closing her eyes.

A distraught "Neigh!" shook me out of my trance. I had nearly forgot about the roan, and silently went over to her stall. She was probably the worst affected out of them all. Backed up against the wall, her ears were flat and eyes wide in panic. I leaned against her stall, not even trying to enter it. _She's too spooked for me to try and approach her… if I try anything, she might hurt herself. _Facing this predicament, I decided there was only one way for me to even try and soothe her.

Talking.

So I turned around, with my back facing the mare, and me facing the rest of the occupants; and began to speak. I recalled a similar scenario, except I was the frightened one. Louise had sat across the room and seemed to speak to herself, it was only when I crawled over that I heard her. She had been talking about my past – at that time, current – fascination: Greek mythology. I told them the reason there was a storm: that it was just the result of an argument between the brothers Zeus and Poseidon; how arachnids came about because of Athena, the reason there are echo's , and much more. Of course, I knew all the scientific explanations for these occurrences, yet I enjoyed them all the same. The idea that the Greeks were able to create such explanations for the unknown, (rather the questions children would ask) was impressive. I continued on and on, closing my eyes as I unraveled story after story. When I reached the ending of the story of Hercules, I was aware of a warm breath tickling my slightly exposed shoulder.

I froze.

I didn't like it when others advanced towards me. When I went towards them, I knew why I was going, what I would do, and I could mentally prepare myself. But when it was the other way around; I'm at loss. I hardly know how to react, and despite all that Louise has taught me, I still don't feel comfortable.

Her moist breath ruffled my hair, much stronger this time. Bit by bit, I turned around, until I was facing her. She was standing right next to me. Her large, brown eyes gazed at me with a similar expression the cattle had held; and she gently nudged my shoulder. Any sort of tension that had been in me, flowed out, as I placed my hand on her nose and gently rubbed up and down. Doing so, I oddly entered a state of 'Zen'; completely tranquil and at ease. I felt my eyelids drooping, and head get heavier. Blinking sleepily, I discovered another sack of feed in the corner where the mare's stall and the coop met. Prodding it, I decided it would suffice as a pillow, and laid down, resting my head in the crook of my arm.

The ships 'rocking' now lulling me to sleep, my eyelids slowly shut. The mare snorted softly, as though bidding me good-night, as I, once again, gave in to the darkness.

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><p>-Vaughn's pov<p>

_Ugh… what the hell happened?_

I peeled my face off the annoyingly soft pillow, and slowly sat up; groaning at the headache I felt. _The wine… _I leaned against the wall, massaging my temples, when I noticed I was still wearing my work shirt and jeans. Everything else was on the floor, but oddly enough, I had my gloves and bandana on. _Whatever…_

I ran through yesterday's occurrences, an old habit of mine ever since… well that doesn't matter right now. I started off with the news of my new schedule, how my aunt and cousin were living on that island, and that I'd actually be _working _for them, getting the animals on board, the crew mentioning something about a storm, the gi-

_Wait. Storm?... DAMN! The animals!_

Throbbing head pushed aside, I hurriedly pulled on my boots, neglecting the other pieces of clothing, yanked open my cabin door, and pretty much ran down the hallway. _It's should be right next to the bathroom._ Facing the door immediately to my right, I pulled out my keys to open the door, when I somehow accidentally turned the handle. The door swung open._ Aw sh-_

The light was on.

_What?_

I pushed to door wide open; and sure enough, it was on. It was strangely silent too. With the worst possible explanations running through my mind, I hastily climbed down, the ladder shaking slightly with each step. Right before I turned around to look, I was pretty sure that what I was about to see would get me fired. For life.

…

Well, I guess I'm keeping my job.

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><p><strong>AN: I deeply apologize for taking so long. I've got one word that sums it all up: delays. No matter how big or small, they always showed up. Actually I finished this a couple days ago, but thanks to the weather, I had no internet connection till now. I know this chapter has positively no dialogue, but I assure you, the next one will. If you have anything to ask about the characters, feel free to PM me. Whether I actually answer those questions or not… well you'll find out. *suppressed smile***

**Now for the previous chapter, I want to thank ****ALL**** those who read it. To: Illusion of Dawn, lain, tufted titmouse, Yamiroo Alice, Avalon, Invader Cakez, lollipopdiego and sodaice who reviewed; and the others who simply didn't. Honestly, I'm honored that so many have read, and to whoever added my story to their favorites or alerts.**

**Take care out there. XD**


	3. Arrival

**MEEP! I'm sorry, I had no clue how messed up my story got. =_='**

**Just like to say, I edited the last two chapters a bit. If this is your first time reading it, then don't worry. What MagicalSquaresOfDarkness said made so much sense, that I ended up changing the scene with the cattle to make it sound more realistic. ^.^**

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><p>-Vaughn's pov<p>

Of all the things I was ready to see, some girl, laying on the floor sleeping, with the other animals asleep as well, was the last. She had used the sack of feed as a pillow, her long, brown hair covered her face and neck. She wore a large, purple t-shirt, grey sweatpants and red boots. There was something oddly familiar about her, especially those _red_ boots…

I took a step forward to get a better look, when the wood creaked loudly. I froze, even though I was the one authorized to be here. She stirred a little, but didn't wake up. However, her hair fell away from her face, revealing a pale, child-like face, with large eyes (even though they were closed), small nose and mouth. Heck, she could have been one, if it wasn't for the blank look on her face; it completely went against any more ideas of her actually being a kid. It was almost… unnatural.

Alright, I'll admit, I was staring. I wouldn't have _if_ I had noticed that the mare had woken up. I didn't notice, so she decided to announce her presence.

"NEIGH!"

I started at the sound, and the girl woke up. She sat up quickly, covering her ears with the palms of her hands, pulling her knees to her chest at the same time, like she had rehearsed it. By default, I put on my usual stoic expression with a slight frown and folded my arms, but I was surprised at her reaction. I had expected a jump, maybe even a scream, not this. I waited a minute or so, but she didn't give any hint of moving. I was beginning to get annoyed, I needed to check on the animals, and I don't like people around when I do. Call it a paranoia, but this is one thing that I do _alone_.

The speakers behind me crackled alive, "We will be docking at Sunny Island in half an hour, passengers leaving, please prepare yourself. Thank you." I thought I had saw her flinch when they crackled, _I have really got to stop drinking that much wine._

She _still _wasn't giving any signs of moving, so I took matters into my own hands. I nudged her red boot, noticing a yellow stripe that ran along the top of it.

Slowly she unfurled; her arms were brought down to her sides, hands shaking a bit. She stood up, supporting herself with the door of the mare's stall. I noticed she was petite and… I stopped by observation, sensing a moment of déjà vu. We stood there silently, her head was down, hair covering her face again. I started getting impatient, it would take at least fifteen minutes for me to get the animals prepared, and I needed to get started. So I took matters into my own hands.

"What are you still doin' here?" I asked, wanting her to take the hint and leave.

"Standing."

_Her voice…_ I was sure I've heard it. I narrowed my eyes at her, even though she couldn't see me. I didn't have time to play smart-ass games right now, and she was making my headache (which I had been successfully ignoring until now) worse.

"I-I mean, I came in here during the storm, a-and I'd like to make sure the animals are still alright…" she trailed off.

"Came in?" I wanted to know how she got in, and to try and distract her from that last point she made.

"The door was not locked."

_Damn, I really didn't lock the door._ I grunted in reply and added, "Gotta job to do, you can't be here."

She lifted her head slightly, "Why not?"

"Business rule. Now leave," this wasn't true, but I wasn't about to tell anyone.

"Fine," she walked over to the ladder. I watched her go, and when she was halfway up, she tilted her head a little, as though she had forgotten something, "You're a mess," and then promptly left.

Reflexively, I looked down at my clothes. My shirt was wrinkled and half tucked in, my boots had pushed up against my jeans instead of going over them, and my bandana was twisted around the wrong way. I usually ignore insults, the people making them are never worth fighting, but there was something about the way she said it that started a wave of anger. I considered climbing back up that ladder and tellingher what a mess _she_ was; but I heard the rest of the animals stirring, and decided against it. They were my first priority, and the source of my income. I wasn't going to let some _girl_ get me fired; no matter how 'familiar' she seemed.

Satisfied, I began to check on the animals for signs of injury and such. After all, I had a job to do.

* * *

><p>-Julia's pov<p>

"How _long_ is he gonna to take?" I asked, standing on the beach, hopping from one foot to the other impatiently.

"'Member, he's got the animals to take care of as well. That means he's gotta wait for passengers to leave first," my ma replied, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"Pffft, what passengers? Until that farmer Taro was talking bout shows up, who would be visiting?" I tossed my hair and folded my arms.

She just smiled gently, and looked back to the ship, which had docked some minutes ago. We arrived at the beach twenty minutes early, and I was getting tired of waiting. Especially since no one was actually leaving the boat. Just when I was about to go on board and drag him out, a figure showed up on the edge of the plank. I tensed, I hadn't seen my cousin in years, and wasn't sure what to expect.

"Julia… that can't be Vaughn," she said. I squinted my eyes for a better look, and realized she was right.

"Your right Ma, Vaughn was always tall, even when we were younger. That person is shorter than me!" while I was speaking, the mysterious person had walked down the plank and was now standing at the dock. "And… it's a girl!"

"A girl? Could it be Gannon's daughter?" she suggested. He had been talking an awful lot about her.

"Nah, he kept on giving the impression that she was just a kid," I talked to the carpenter on some odd occasions when he was repairing my house, and all he did was talk about her. Can't say I was looking forward to seeing her in person, and so soon either. "Besides, he'd be here if it was."

Before she could reply, we heard Taro's unmistakable voice bellow out from behind us, "YOU THE FARMER MISSY?"

_Farmer?_

"Yes sir," she answered flatly. She and Taro (we had no idea he was behind us in the first place) were now standing at the border between the dock and beach; close enough for me to clearly see the new farmer. With her petite body and child-like face, she was cute; but she wore too much red. I mean, shirt, bandana _and_ boots? _Yep, definitely too much._ Her chestnut hair had a bit of a wave to it, but mainly straight; unlike mine. All she had with her was a medium sized charcoal-grey duffle and tan rucksack, not as much as I thought she would have… or what I would have had.

"FOLLOW ME THEN!" she complied, following him dutifully, and we turned to watch them until they entered our 'town'.

"She sure doesn't look like she could handle a farm by herself," Ma said anxiously. She was always so caring and kind, worrying about everyone.

"Well Ma, you didn't think I was strong enough to help you out at the shop now did ya?" I said, smiling at the memory of our debate.

"Still aren't," replied a deep voice, followed by a grunt.

I gasped and spun around, there was only one person who could grunt like that, and that was, "Vaughn!" That's as far as I got, too busy taking in the picture of his emo-cowboy outfit. When we were younger, he would swear he'd be a cowboy when we would grow up. Seeing him now, I guess he got his wish. Yet, he could wear a little less black. Almost reminded me of that farmer girl we saw. Way too much of one color. _He even got a Stetson! _He always wore something on his head though, to cover his silver (natural I tell you!) hair.

"Oh Vaughn!" Ma hugged him lightly, and I could have sworn I saw a flicker of a smile as she did so, "How are you dear? It's been so long, right Julia?" She elbowed me in the side, and I stopped staring to give him my famous smile, the 'dazzler'. All he did was give me a glare.

"Aunt Mirabelle, Julia," he said while pulling his Stetson down. That did it though.

"'Julia'? That's all you can say? I haven't seen you in how long and that's _it_?" I placed my hands on my hips. I really was put out by his curtness, even though it just reminded me of him when he was younger.

"Ten years and twelve days," he mumbled quietly.

My eyes widened, _He remembered?_

Before either of us could reply, Vaughn grunted _again_ to get our attention, "Ya gonna just stand there, or help me unload the animals?"

_Yep, same old Vaughn._

* * *

><p>-Chelsea's pov<p>

"YOU THE FARMER MISSY?" my eyes narrowed, _why was he speaking so loudly?_

"Yes," with no one else around, I was quite certain he was talking to me.

"FOLLOW ME THEN!" he stated, turning around and briskly walking away. I complied, tightening my grip on the two bags that I had been able to secretly pack; not that I had much to pack in the first place.

We continued walking up the beach, which was quite beautiful in its own deserted way. Even the shack, which seemed to be collapse at any moment, fit in. Well, except for the two women next to the dock. I say women because one was definitely at a mature age, and the other seemed to be older than me; she was certainly taller. As I followed the older man, we came upon a large area that was mostly deserted, save for four buildings; two on both the right and left. Surprisingly enough, I discovered that not all elderly people were slow, this man kept a steady pace. I had to jog to draw level with him since he, undeterred, had continued straight on ahead and through an opening of some sort. He veered off to the right, and I stood there, dumbstruck. I literally felt my mind being smothered to the ground, as I gazed at the sight before me.

The immense field that covered most of the land seemed to be filled with rocks – from boulders to pebbles, branches, the stumps of trees, and the weeds claiming any available patch of bare land. There were some rundown buildings across the field, most likely the coop, barn and whatnot. Yet rather than it being a daunting sight, I relished at it. Here, here was a challenge in which I could focus my mind and body on: the farm. Bouncing on the heels of my feet, I was pleased with the choice I made, being able to start from scratch and work my way up joyfully. After all, my life couldn't get any worse now could it?

"You alright there lil' missy?"

At least he wasn't shouting anymore. Yet, _lil' missy?_ I suppose I was considerably younger than him, "Yes sir, quite alright."

He gestured to the cottage like house to my right, "The name's Taro. That's your place. I had Gannon, an old friend of mine and the local carpenter, fix it up for ya to live in. But you'll have to earn the money and get the lumber to make it any bigger." Then he muttered to himself, "Although, I'm not sure a lil' thing like you could handle a farm…"

I tensed, "Believe me _sir_," standing straight, and lifting my head high to glare at his abnormally large, bald head, "when I tell you that my farm will be VERY successful; and if you don't think so, then I will simply move to a different place where farmers are not judged by their physical size."

There was silence. I was serious about what I said, if he honestly didn't think I could raise a farm to its full potential, then I would leave.

"I like you missy! You got determination and guts!" breaking the silence with a smile, "You'll do well here, I can feel it!"

I relaxed; he had accepted me, when others necessarily would not have. In return, I offered him the same small smile I had given to the old sailor, before starting to bounce again.

"Alright, I know you youngsters nowadays are so rushed, but," he reached into the pocket in the middle of his patched overalls, "Aha! Felicia needed me to ask ya a couple questions. For some forms and such." He revealed a piece of paper and stub of a pencil.

Although feeling a little apprehensive about being questioned, I agreed.

"What's your name and birthday?"

It never occurred to me that they wouldn't know my name. Yet, it was a women, who had had an unimaginably soft voice, that answered the phone.

"Chelsea Solvo, Spring 20."

"Chelsea," he muttered, eyebrows furrowed even further as he scribbled down my name. "How old ya turnin'?"

My hands briefly fluttered, "… Eighteen…" I debated on telling my true age or not, yet something within me stopped me from lying. This 'something' has come up many times, and not always to my advantage.

"HAHA! Same age I started my own farm too!"

_He was a farmer once? I wonder if he was successful at all. _But before I could voice my question, "Thanks Chelsea, would you like to have dinner with us? I know my daughter, Felicia, would wanna to meet you, the grandkids too."

Dinner. As in people. Meaning socializing. Which could lead to disaster. So the people won't accept me. Then I'll have no one. Again.

"I will come,"_… Ah! What did I just say!_

He nodded, "Come around seven, we're the house straight to the left when you walk down the path." He turned to leave, then stopped, "Just so ya know, your basic tools will be found in your toolbox inside. If ya need any help, just ask me," and with that, he left.

...

It was silent. Blissfully silent. I breathed in deeply, and actually took a good look at the house. _Not just THE house, MY house. _It was wooden and well built, with red shingles on the roof. _A red roof!_ This day just got a great deal better. With my face cracking into a grin, I took a deep breath and rushed into the house, letting it all out as my sight wandered. The interior was simple, a table, chair, nightstand, bed, and the tool chest Taro mentioned. The ground felt different, and noticed I was standing on a doormat. A nice yellow one at that. I placed my bags next to my bed, and upon further investigation, discovered a small closet-like space with a toilet, sink and shower. I went over to my bed, and sat down tiredly. This wasn't anything like my old house. _It's not even worth calling a house; it was just my previous place of residency. _To put my current residency in a word: functional.

I sighed, even though it seemed well maintained, there was a small layer of dust along some of the furniture. I searched through my nightstand, and happily discovered a small green cloth. This would suffice. I dampened it, and proceeded to wipe down anything that need it. When I reached the tool chest however, I discovered a rucksack alongside of it. I couldn't have possibly missed it – wait, there was a note attached.

'_To Chelsea, a gift to help you. Keep it with you at all times.'_ It was not signed. Confused, I looked over the note. It was made form a starch white paper, and the writing was elegant, but not to the point of being unreadable. Glancing at the 'gift', it seemed to be nothing more than a simple dark brown and red rucksack. A little skeptical, I placed it on my table and probed it. No reaction. _Well it could explode, but that would not be much of a gift now would it? _I left it there, unsure what to do, and went back to the neglected chest. After cleaning it up, I opened it to discover an arrange of tools. _What did you expect, it _is_ a tool chest after all!_ There was an axe, hammer, hoe, sickle, and watering can. My _'basic tools_' as Taro said.

Feeling a rush of energy suddenly flow through me, I picked up the hammer. It was not as heavy I thought it would be. Not wanting to unpack just yet, I decided to go outside and test my new hammer. Maybe even clear a part of my field; besides, it was only noon. Resolved, I gripped the handle and strode over to the door, quickly opening it.

What I _was_ expecting to see: the grass outside my house.

What I was _not_ expecting to see: someone in front of me.

* * *

><p>-Vaughn's pov<p>

"No."

"Oh come on! You'll have to do business, so we might as well go!"

"No."

Julia huffed, and crossed her arms. I stayed where I was, lounging on the couch. After unloading the animals – where I learned that Julia _had_ gotten stronger – I wanted nothing more to do than… well, nothing. That mysterious girl's comment earlier had ruined, what I consider, an O.K. day. Julia though, wanted me to meet the new farmer; and for some goddess-knows reason, she wanted me along too.

Suddenly, she smirked; and casually walked over to lean near my ear. Inside I stiffened, but didn't move a muscle.

She whispered threateningly, "If you don't come with me _right now_, I will joyously burn your beloved hat, and will further do so to any items of headwear you buy afterwards."

I gulped nervously. I forgot how merciless she could be at times. I remember once where I continued to refuse, and… well… let's just say any item of clothing I had, even my boxers, had been bedazzled **(1)** (ironically, I also remember calling her largest smile the 'dazzle' or something, pun obviously intended). Her threats were NOT to be taken lightly.

I stood up in defeat, "Fine. Let's get this over with."

She smiled sweetly, before grabbing my hand and practically running out the door, "MA! WE'VE GONE TO VISIT THE NEW FARMER!" she yelled to into the kitchen.

Once we were outside, I yanked my hand out of her vice-like grasp. There was _no way I_ was going to be dragged around by my kid cousin. Following her, we turned right once we past this other house. I briefly wondered if that was where we were going to have dinner tonight. Aunt Mirabelle told me we were invited, and that I had to come – another reason I wanted to stay home while I could. I planned on arguing, but I didn't. I owed her a lot anyways.

We turned right at the path, and walked in to see a large field, overgrown with weeds and filled with other objects. I looked at the field, _he should be out there working by now, if he ever wants to actually have a farm._ Julia coughed, and I looked at her sharply. She gestured to the door.

"No."

She raised an eyebrow at me, and pointed to the top of my head. I valued this hat more than I wished her to know. Narrowing my eyes at her, I stomped to the door, pausing to give her a quick glare, before raising my hand to knock.

The door opened revealing a girl.

Wait, let me rephrase that: it opened up to the girl I had met at the bar the other night. There was no doubt about that; she was wearing the same clothes. The bandana, shirts, shorts and red boots with a yellow stripe… which just so happened to be the same kind the girl who pissed me off this morning wore. In fact, when I thought about it, _that _was why her voice had sounded so familiar.

_... Crap._

* * *

><p><strong>Alright, alright reprimand me all you want. I know I took a ridiculously long time on this one; but it is a little longer than normal. The thing is, I sort of write down my ideas on paper then type it out. As I type, the story changes and such. Yet, that doesn't make up for the fact that I should have worked faster. :**

**Either way, I'd like to thank those whom have had the patience to continue reading. I'm quite touched when I see so many people from different countries reading my story.**

**Quick note though: For the next chapter, I'd like to include the dinner scene; but I want to have a new person's pov. I was thinking Natalie, but I'm open for suggestions of any kind! :D**

**(1) You know, where you snap on the rhinestones to the clothes or something. Lol, imagine Vaughn with sparkly black jeans. ^_^**

**Keep reading the works of others! XD**

**P.S. To all the Muslims out there: Ramadan Kareem! :)**


	4. Dinner

-Chelsea's pov

_And my day was just starting to go so well…_

The last person I expected to see was standing at the door, that dark cowboy.

No, literally, his jeans, gloves, hat _and_ button-down shirt were black – pure black, not even a dark charcoal. His leather vest, belts – yes, _two_ belts – and boots were various shades of dark tan and chocolate brown. _All warm colours, interesting._ However, his bandana was a cold white and his hair silver; odd.

Instinctively I moved back a foot or so, quickly averting my eyes back down. They had been taking in his appearance, and unknowingly nearly reached his own. This is the third time I've seen him; wait, the second time. The first time at the bar, I only heard him. Then this morning down in the ship… I called him a mess. Just waking up, I tend to speak my mind – more than usual.

_Well he was one._

Understood, but remember what Louise said?

_Always be honest._

Yes, but…

… _Sometimes, it isn't necessary. So what to do?_

Apologize.

_For telling the truth? That's a good thing! Apologizing is for doing something bad!_

This is one of those exceptions.

_This doesn't make sense!_

When does it ever?

I exhaled deeply, ending the debate inside my head. Instead I focused on the edge of the doormat, "I apologize for this morning."

"You…" he spluttered. _Yes, me._ Out of the corner of my vision, I watched him lift his arms and fold them across his chest. Then, I felt tiny pin-pricks cover my body and I knew he was glaring at me. Good to know he doesn't understand the concept of an apology.

I shifted my gaze over to a small patch of grass outside; reminded why I even opened the door in the first place, "I'd like to start working of my field now."

No response. I huffed, wanting to get as much done before attending the dinner tonight.

"You're that girl from the ship."

I lifted my head; focusing on his incredibly clean bandana, "Yes, I am," _Smart man, _"You're that mess – man from the ship." My irritation with him stopping me was rapidly growing.

Silence. Then I heard him say something so unexpected, I almost thought I misheard him. Did he just tell me to _shut up?_

"What?"

"Ya heard me. _Shut. Up._"

I blinked; and all the anger that I could normally keep in check so well, escaped, "You think just because you tell me to shut up, I might actually do so? I am absolutely sick and tired of hearing people telling me to be quiet. I will talk when I want, about whatever I want, and there is nothing you will ever be able to do to stop me." I gripped my hammer tightly, barely resisting the urge to hit the man. Noticing an opening between him and the door, I saw my way out, "Now, for the second and last time, I would like to start working, so pardon me," and with that, I took a deep breath and darted through. It helped being shorter that a 6-foot man occasionally.

Feeling my personal, reinforced bubble shrink towards me, I quickly made my way out and to the open. I merely happened to glance to the left, all of the sudden aware that there had been _two_ people to visit me. The other was that young lady from the beach.

Said person was dressed similarly to the cowboy, but in a much cooler attire. She had spotless, creamy white boots with brown, folded-over tops, cobalt blue shorts – not jeans – held by a black belt, and a low-cut, white undershirt covered by a light, sky blue, longer sleeved shirt tied under her chest. Her appearance didn't surprise me much, I've seen people more openly dressed before, thanks to the dinners my supposed 'parents' would host.

Her mouth hung open, arms loose at her sides. Noticing my gaze, she tried to meet my eyes, but I quickly looked away and focused of the pointy tips of her boots. She slowly walked forward, a grin now across her face, "Hi! The name's Julia," at her name, she stuck her hand out to me, "You seem to have already met my cousin, Vaughn," at the mention of his name, his head jerked towards us, before he stomped out of my farm. _Cousin? I suppose there are similarities; I would just have to look for them. _Julia glanced at me and then frowned at his disappearing figure, "Sorry about that, he isn't the most social of people." _Well neither am I really._

I switched the hammer to my left hand, and reached out to shake her outstretched one. "It's no big deal," I said as she firmly gripped my paler hand.

Once she let go, silence ensured, and I refocused my gaze to the small mound of stone to the right of Julia's shoulder. Then she stated, rather than asked, "So, your name's Chelsea?" The wonder must have shown – which is a surprise actually – because she quickly added, "Ma and I heard Taro at the beach."

Ah, the beach. Which reminded me, what were those buildings I had somewhat seen whilst following Taro? "Julia, what are the buildings down there?" I asked, gesturing towards the path and consequently, beyond it.

She blinked, "Well, when you head down that path, the large-ish house to your left is Taro's place, and the one to the left of that is ours. Right across Taro's is Gannon's shop, he's the carpenter, and across from him is Chen and Charlie's. That's the general store and Chen'll be selling seeds and stuff for you."

"Ah," was my reply. I was busy, absorbing this new information, sketching out a map in my mind and adding new names to my list. So far that is: Taro, Felicia, Julia, Vaughn, Gannon, Chen and Charlie…

"Well, I'd better leave now. It was nice meeting you Chelsea," startling me out of my thoughts.

"The pleasure is all mine," was my immediate response, moving to let her pass, then resuming my original train of thought. Without another word she left, yet, I was dimly aware of her stopping right at the edge to glance back at me before moving on. Which reminds me, my field.

I turned, cracking my knuckles; time to work.

* * *

><p>-Julia's pov<p>

Leaving Chelsea's farm, I couldn't help but chuckle at that 'confrontation' I saw between Vaughn and her. I guess they've already met, but I've never met anyone who could get under his skin so much! He always brushed off insults, leaving me to be the one blowing up about them. Alright, I knew they still hurt and he'd always lock himself in his room afterwards, but still!

I was walking by Taro's house when I heard a raised voice. I sighed, knowing exactly whose voice that was, and walked over to the door, politely knocking before entering. Felicia stood by the door and welcomed me in with her serene smile, nodding towards some empty crates. Even though we've only known each other for a week, I was the chosen peace keeper between the two siblings.

I walked around the corner, revealing the two of them. Natalie was about to say something, and I intervened with a typical, "Hey guys." Pink heads whipped towards me (don't tell Natalie her hair is pink, apparently it's 'a reddish strawberry blonde').

"Hey Julie."

"H-Hello J-Julia."

That seemed to spark something, because Natalie rounded on him with the words, "Stop stuttering all the time! You nerdy imbecile, can't you say anything normally?"

"Oh s-stop it! You're just mad b-because one crate landed on your foot?"

"That was a BIG crate! The least you could do is look where you're going!"

"It's not m-my fault he was pushed in front of me!"

Here I interrupted, trying to redirect the conversation, "He?"

Natalie folded her arms and huffed, "Ya. Tall, dark clothes, jackass."

"Silverish hair?"

She gave me a suspicious look, and nodded; Elliot looked a little worried.

"He's my cousin."

And the jaws dropped; _tsch, typical reaction_. Though come to think of it, Chelsea didn't even respond. Huh.

"Your c-cousin?"

Natalie snapped back to attention, "That's what she said you nitwit!"

"Mhm," I intervened again, "Must be; no one else has silver hair on this island."

"But he's nothing like you!"

"And Elliot is?"

"… Touché."

"I'm s-still here!"

"Of course Elliot," he blushed and fingered his green apron (why he'd wear one, I don't know), "Either way, he's coming for dinner. Ma's making him."

"Whatever. As long as he stays away from me, I'm fine."

"Don't worry Nat, He isn't that social anyways."

Slightly awkward silence followed, and it was about to get much more, when I thought of Chelsea again.

"You guys meet Chelsea yet?"

"Chelsea?"

"The new farmer."

"N-no."

"Wait, she? Here? I thought it would be a couple more days at the least."

"I know right? She arrived this morning. Taro was there to greet her."

"So _that's_ where he was, Mom was looking for him earlier."

"W-What's she like?"

"Hmmm…" I tapped my chin, "Polite I guess, wears a lot of red, oh! And she seemed to _really_ annoy Vaughn." I didn't mention the fact she never looked me in the eye; it just didn't seem right.

"Cousin cowboy? No way! He didn't react to anything _I_ said!"

"It's t-true, I was there."

"I wonder if I should go over to meet her…"

"THERE'S NO NEED TO!"

We all whirled around to see Taro standing at the entrance of his room. That's the second time he's snuck up on me, and it's starting to get creepy.

"Gramps! Inside voice!"

"DON'T YOU LECTURE ME MISSY!" he came forward to whack Natalie's legs with his stick, "Ahem, as I was sayin', I invited her over for dinner tonight so ya can meet her then. Now, GET BACK TO WORK YOU TWO! THOSE CRATES BETTER BE STACKED SMALLEST TO LARGEST, LEFT TO RIGHT!"

I took this as my cue to quietly leave; besides I'd be seeing them again tonight.

* * *

><p>-Natalie's pov<p>

_Argh! When is this girl gonna to show up? _I folded by arms and glared at the door. Everyone was already here and it was nearing seven. Gramps _insisted_ that I wait for her before eating. I think it was so he could have all the fried tofu dumplings for himself. Hey, with him, you never know what'll happen.

My stomach growled at me, and I growled back. If she didn't show up soon, I was going to ditch door-duty for those dumplings. What can I say, I like my tofu. Waiting a couple minutes more, I agreed with my new talking organ and began to leave. Sadly, I only managed a couple steps before hearing a knock on the door. Oh how _ironic._

I walked – more like stomped – back to the door, and opened it, coming face to face with a casually dressed brunette. Maybe 'face to face' isn't quite right, she was a couple inches shorter than me.

"You Chelsea?" I demanded.

She looked behind me, "Is this the house of Taro?" did she just ignore my question? And who even talks like that?

"No duh, I'm Natalie. Taro's my gramps," I didn't give her time to reply, "Now come on in, we've been waiting for you."

Hesitantly she walked in, and I quickly shut the door behind her. Once again, I went towards the tantalizing aroma of food, when I realized she was still just standing there, with her fingers drumming against her side. _Great, another nervous Elliot. _Thankfully Julie came up and when she saw Chelsea, she asked if she was alright.

That seemed to wake her up, "Yes."

"Well then come on! The food's getting colder by the second!" With Julie beside her, she casually walked forward. Her hands never stopped moving, and it may have been the lack of food making me see things, but I could have sworn they moved faster once she saw everyone.

Gramps was sitting at the left head of the table, with a steaming pile of freshly cooked tofu dumplings (_I knew it!) _in front of him. Chen was sitting to his left, and Gannon – who took up two spaces – to his right; all of them clearly talking about the island. Charlie sat between his dad and nerd-boy-wonder, who was trying to keep up with the kid's fast way of talking. Across from the failure sat Julia's jackass-cowboy 'cousin'; I sneered at his back. Mom and Mirabelle were just about to sit down with their food but noticed us first.

Mom, being mom, immediately got up, "Oh! You must be Chelsea!" The chattering ceased as all heads – except for the cowboy's – turned towards us. The two mothers (Mirabelle stood up soon after) walked forward smiling, "My name is Felicia, and this is my good friend Mirabelle."

Mirabelle stretched out her hand, "You've already met my daughter Julia, and nephew, Vaughn, over there."

Chelsea had a weird way of shaking hands. The back of her hand was tilted upwards, rather than the side; and using her fingers and thumb, only shook Mirabelle's fingers. She noticed as well and gave a confused smile.

"Pleasure to meet you."

_Seriously, pleasantries? Screw this; there is no way I'm going to last through it all. _"Mom, I'm going to get some food kay? You gonna come Julie?"

Julie looked over at Chelsea, who was just staring at her hands, "I'll be right over."

I shrugged, "Sure, whatever," before gladly picking up a plate and helping myself to all the tofu and vegetable/fruit kind of food there was. Hey, I'm no vegetarian with any ethics and stuff; I just prefer it. Sim-ple.

It was when I turned around I noticed the seating arrangements. With the introductions made, Mom had ended up sitting next to her son – the only person probably ever willing to – and Mirabelle by her. That only left the other head of the table, the seat next to 'the cousin', and the one between them. I chose the last option, not wanting to be right across from Gramps.

I sat down eagerly digging in, and about half a plate later I noticed Julie sit down between her cousin and me. I guess for even being cousin's, the two of them don't get along that well since she pretty much only talked to me. Not that I minded or anything, Julie isn't that kind of ditzy-blonde or anything. Goddess knows I can't handle them. Soon enough I finished the food on my plate and went back for dessert. _Oh yeah! There's still some raisin bread left!_

CRASH!

I whipped my head around, my pin- I mean reddish strawberry blonde hair blocking my view. Flicking it away, I could see Chelsea staring at the floor, which was littered with the easily recognized remains of one of our green, glass cups. What really threw me off though, was the blank look she had on her face. Like nothing had actually happened. Then, she just bent down and started picking the broken pieces up.

Mom was the first to move, "Oh, Chelsea dear, you'll hurt yourself doing that," as she reached her hand out towards her as she stood up. She hadn't even touched her when Chelsea violently flinched backwards and stumbled over her feet a bit, causing some of the glass to fall.

"If you make a mess, you clean it up."

_Alright... WTF is she talking about now?_

Mirabelle came up next to Mom and I heard her whisper, "I'll go an' fetch the broom."

"But Louise said-" She cut herself off and jerked her arm a bit, so the rest of the pieces fell. Her eyebrows were scrunched together seemingly focused, before she ran out of here like the Kappa was after her. If this was all being written down, I'd put in an 'awkward silence' since that's pretty much what it felt like once the door slammed shut after her. Soft murmuring broke out eventually, and I went to get the broom instead. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Julie leave and raised an eyebrow. _Well someone has to make sure we still have a farmer after all this._

* * *

><p><strong>Hahaha, and you thought I'd forgotten about this fanfic! Well, I didn't. I was... (fine I'll admit it) procrastinating; and distracted. Highly distracted I tell you. This chapter was actually much longer, but I'm remaking it into chapter 5 instead. Hopefully, with 1000 words already down, I'll be able to post it quickly – but no promises.<strong>

**Ta-ta!**

**Syra ^_^ **


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, haven't been around huh? I understand it's been a lot of time, but sadly, this isn't an update.  
>It's horrible, being a reader and finding this out, so I've got a pretty good idea what you're feelings are towards me right now. You definately deserve an explanation.<strong>

**There are some aspects within my tale that weren't explored correctly. Some mentionings are wrong, and shouldn't be there. See, when I first brain-stormed this story, it was a heck of a lot more dramatic - like, Mary-Sue drama. Sadly, this influenced the first two or three chapters, so I need to change some things around. **

**Then, there's Chelsea. I'm not telling you the answer, but there is something _different_ about her and I need to do more research to broaden her background and her future reactions with everyone from Sunny Island. It's not just her either, but Vaughn, Julia and so many others. I observe certain people that show their habits - myself included - and try to alter them so the characters seem real.**

**That typed, I will be revamping the work I've currently posted and writing out more of the plot before reposting the newer version of this tale. I will take this story down, but not until I've got the replacement. **

**To everyone who has given a signed review, I will make sure to personally PM you when I am ready - if you want to know. To those who have only favorited/alerted, I'll post a quick note so you know I've 'updated' and posted my newer one. Kind of like turning over a new leaf, but in my case, I'm just flipping my leaf upside-down.**

**More than anything, I'm disappointed in myself for having to resort to this.**

**I hope you can all forgive me.**

**- Syra**


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